Police Sgt. Pedro Espinoza said officers were called to a house on the 1400 block of Bristlecone Court at 6:30 p.m. A family member who was at the house called 911 because Knapp was unconscious.

Officers said they found Knapp suffering from life-threatening trauma to her upper body.

"Gilroy Fire Department emergency medical personnel also arrived and initiated lifesaving efforts on the victim. These efforts were met with negative results, and unfortunately, the victim succumbed to her injuries. She was pronounced deceased on scene," Espinoza said.

Detectives said they classified Knapp's death as a homicide after a coroner conducted an autopsy. No arrests have been made, and no suspects were identified.

Investigators said they were unwilling to release any further information.

The killing was the first homicide in Gilroy of 2014.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call homicide Det. Bolton at 408-846-0350.

The last homicide in Gilroy happened on Christmas Day in 2013 when a 21-year-old woman was slain by a man she had a restraining order against, police said.

A family that lives on the 8100 block of Kelton Drive returned home and found Alma Roque Ortega lying dead on the floor. The family's 21-year-old son, Ernesto Rodriguez, was missing, police Sgt. Wes Standford said.

Rodriguez lived in the apartment with his parents.

"Ortega doesn't live with Rodriguez, and Rodriguez was restrained from contacting Ortega by a criminal protective restraining order issued from San Benito County in January 2013," Standford said.

In August 2013, Ortega went to the San Benito County courthouse and requested for the restraining order to be changed to a peaceful contact order, court records show. Four months later, she was dead, and Rodriguez was arrested on homicide charges.

Detectives declined to release Ortega's cause of death, but said she died from a "violent confrontation."